Debbie Forster MBE, CEO at Tech Talent Charter

In the fourth episode of this season of the Digital Leaders Podcast, we chat to Debbie Forster MBE. Debbie discusses how leaders can become more inclusive, anti-racist employers, explaining the mission of Tech Talent Charter’s ‘Open Playbook’ and how it can be used to encourage diversity. She also talks about her journey from rural America, to IT teacher, to tech for good entrepreneur.

Sabby Gill, Executive Vice President and Managing Director United Kingdom & Ireland, Sage

In the second episode of Season Five, we sit down with businessman, angel investor, trustee and digital entrepreneur Professor Adam Beaumont. Adam discusses his journey from scientist to digital entrepreneur. He talks about his identity as a 'passionate Yorkshireman' and how he has encouraged innovation in the north of the UK; sharing his experience of transforming a derelict Leeds chapel into a state-of-the-art data centre. Adam also chats about his recent project - the Beaumont Awards - designed to provide a platform and encouragement for young talent.

In the first episode of season five of the Digital Leaders podcast, we sit down with Seyi Akiwowo. Digital Leaders 100 Winner 2019 and Founder of Glitch, Seyi Akiwowo talks about her journey, the importance of equality, the Black Lives Matters movement and the part that lived experience has to play in making change happen.

In episode five, we sit down with Emma McGuigan, Senior Managing Director for Accenture’s global business with Microsoft.  Based in Seattle, Emma is responsible for Accenture’s combined business with Microsoft, including the industry-leading JV, Avanade, where Emma oversees a strategic alliance of 45,000 Accenture & Avanade employees.  Emma shares her: fascination from an early age to find out how things work; her desire to tackle society’s inequalities; and the need for digital leaders to embrace their own continual learning, curiosity, and openness to new ideas.

In episode four we sit down with Heather Savoury, Co-Chair of the Global Working Group on Big Data for Official Statistics at the United Nations. Heather shares her journey: from electrical engineering and research at GE, to building the world’s first hardware-accelerated 3D graphics at 3DLabs, followed by the Treasury and ultimately ONS. She also highlights the importance of repurposing data, explaining how looking at it from new angles can help us to better understand how it can be used.

In episode three of season four, we sit down with Gori Yahaya, Founder, and CEO of UpSkill Digital. Gori shares his entrepreneurial journey: from working at Google, helping organisations grow and prosper through adopting digital; to setting up his own company, UpSkill Digital, helping charities and organisations make the most of technology. Gori also discusses the importance of upskilling the BAME community, enabling individuals in minority groups to become digital leaders; and more broadly the changes that he believes we will see in education moving forwards.

In the second episode of Season Four, we sit down with Professor Sue Black OBE, an award-winning Computer Scientist and Technology Evangelist. Sue shares her journey: from setting up the first online network for women in tech; leading the campaign to save Bletchley Park; and TechUP Women the new initiative she is running at Durham University with the Institute of Coding. She also shares her very personal experience of how the power of education and technology transformed her and her family's life.

Welcome to the Digital Leaders Podcast - Season Four. In our first episode, we sit down with Zoe Amar to talk about the Charity Digital Code, why it is needed and what the latest Skills Report is saying about the Charity sector's digital maturity. Zoe shares her appetite for change and how she is still excited when charities are willing to alter the way they operate by embracing digital. Listen as Zoe shares her thoughts on the importance of digital leadership, the latest research from the Lloyds Bank Charity Digital Index and her belief in the importance of giving support to leaders receiving online abuse. Resources mentioned in the podcast include: The Lloyds Charity Digital Index and The Charity Digital Code of Practice. @zoeamar

In the final podcast of season three, we sit down with Caron Alexander, Director of Digital Shared Services at the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland and Digital Leaders Local Champion 2016. The first girl to take a Computer Science A level in her school, she followed her passion into the public sector rising to Head IT in Government. Now coming to the end of her career, she reflects on leading the Northern Ireland Government’s digital transformation programme, creating an inclusive government approach via nidirect and a new social media led platform called MyNI.